…………………………………………………

The Girl with the Needle Movie Review

The Girl with the Needle is a 2024 Danish historical horror film directed by Magnus von Horn and starring Vic Carmen Sonne and Trine Dyrholm. It’s a highly effective, phenomenal film.

Karoline, a young factory worker, struggles to survive. When she becomes pregnant, she meets Dagmar, a charismatic woman who runs an underground adoption agency. Karoline accepts a role as a wet nurse alongside her. Scandinavian cinema is renowned for their dark subject matter, but this film is unexpectedly brutal even for them. Some may categorize this film as a crime drama, but I disagree. If this isn’t a horror movie, I don’t know what is honestly. It’s one of the most disturbing movies I’ve seen in quite a while, certainly since ‘Speak No Evil’.

………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………..

This is a period piece based on a true story, which makes it even more disturbing. It’s a superb mix of genres, functioning as a psychological horror in the form of a parable and in the style of a fairy tale, though obviously an extremely dark one. Watching this movie, the sense of unease and terror never leaves your mind due to its overwhelmingly menacing and claustrophobic atmosphere. It’s a phenomenally executed horror film and a further proof that the scariest stories are those about real humans and not fictional monsters, which is something that Hollywood should learn from Scandinavians.

Vic Carmen Sonne delivered one of the best performances of the year in the role of the tragic and tortured Karoline. Her arc is truly a heartbreaking one and you rarely get a respite from all of the heartache that she experiences on a consistent basis. The actress delivered a terrific performance that is emotionally resonant and quite layered, not to mention deeply physical as a lot is asked from her and she did it all in a very believable manner.

Trine Dyrholm is another standout. This actress delivered one of the finest villain turns in recent memory. This is the type of character who represents the banality of pure evil in the same way the people in ‘The Zone of Interest’ exemplified. The best kind of terror is wrought from truly immoral and evil humans instead of fictional monsters, which was clearly the case here. Furthermore, endangered kids and especially babies will naturally bring out the most urgent and parental response in all of us, which is why this type of story was always going to be extremely difficult to bear.

………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………..

The Girl with the Needle can be understood as a feminist parable in a way as it pinpoints once again how horrible women were treated throughout the majority of human history. Thus, this one functions as a very melodramatic tragedy reminiscent of silent cinema, which coupled with its gorgeous black-and-white cinematography gave it a very classical, elegant feel that I really appreciated.

The cinematography is, yes, exceptional. The atmosphere is strikingly bleak and menacing while the score is superb, intensifying the suspense even further. Magnus von Horn directed this picture with a lot of style and confidence. He also got two marvelous performances out from the two main actresses. I really liked the “freak” subplot that pleasantly reminded me of del Toro’s ‘Nightmare Alley’ and it fitted the subject matter of unfortunate outcasts beautifully, but it was still rather sidelined and needed more attention overall.

The film is wonderfully edited and paced, being atmospheric and engaging throughout. The dialogue was also quite realistic. The production and costume design are both fantastic while the attention to detail in recreating its time period was remarkable. Character development overall could have been stronger, but for a genre flick such as this one, it did suffice. It’s a film that may not appeal to most mainstream audiences, but for fans of the horror/thriller genres and artistic international cinema it will be a treat.

………………………………………………….